Is Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2002 SP Authentic · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 sells for $5,705 against $1,486 raw: a $4,219 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($880) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1,486
- PSA 10
- $5,705
- PSA 9
- $880
- Gem premium
- 3.8×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $5,705 | +$4,194 | +$4,169 | +$4,069 |
| PSA 9 | $880 | −$631 | −$656 | −$756 |
| PSA 8 | $800 | −$711 | −$736 | −$836 |
Net = sale price − $1,486 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $2,086 | +$550 |
| 50% | $3,293 | +$1,757 |
| 75% | $4,499 | +$2,963 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $7,417 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $5,705 | −$1,712 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,423 | −$3,994 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,423 | −$3,994 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $5,705 | $3,423 | $7,417 | $3,423 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $968 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $880 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $800 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 — FAQ
Is Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 sells for $5,705 against $1,486 raw: a $4,219 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($880) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 (Basketball Cards 2002 SP Authentic) sells for about $5,705 versus $1,486 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.8× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $7,417, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,705. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Yao Ming [Autograph-Limited] #143 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $880).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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